Some hotels across Maine are trying new things this year to drive up their business.
KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — The winter months of Maine to many businesses are defined as their “Off-Season”, especially those businesses in hospitality and tourism.
Some hotels across Maine are trying new things this year to drive up their business.
According to the Maine Office of Tourism, visits to Maine increased by 20 percent, last winter over the one before.
A place in Kennebunkport is trying something new this winter to help out the local economy.
“This is the first year that Yachtsman has been open year-round, and we’ve seen a wonderful impact,” Derek Hunt, general manager of Yachtsman Hotel and Marina Club, said.
The Yachtsman Hotel and Marina Club is open for its first winter, making them a four-season hotel due to the demand for winter bookings.
“It’s really exciting to see the growth in Kennebunkport in the winter season, shops staying open later, more restaurants staying open throughout the season,” Hunt said.
Being open throughout the year means maintaining a year-round staff.
Hunt said, “We’re up 50%, as well as our staffing numbers, which [is] really exciting to be able to help our local community.”
Other hotels in Maine are trying to boost their business this winter in more creative ways.
“Traditionally, we did have a lot of people coming from Maine directly for the staycation experience,” Crystal Ingerson, director of sales at the Portland Harbor Hotel, said.
The Portland Harbor Hotel is trying something new, something from the pandemic that stuck, igloos. Whether customers are staying at the hotel or not, they can rent them out.
“Out here in the terrace space, traditionally, it would be completely empty, no furniture. So, we completely took it and ran with it,” Ingerson said.
The company has high hopes to expand on this next winter as well.
Ingerson said, “Knowing that this was our first year and how successful it was, I absolutely see us expanding to one more or two”.
It’s trying to drive up business during the winter months and help keep Mainer’s employed year-round.
